Probation for Jackson Twp. mom accused of having filthy home

A Jackson Township woman who had been accused of allowing her young daughter to live in filth had a child-endangerment charge dismissed Thursday.

Instead, Rhonda Pauline Lawrence pleaded guilty to simple assault and misdemeanor disorderly conduct for a domestic dispute and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Lawrence, 25, of Chesapeake Estates mobile home park, also was ordered to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation, according to court records.

Northern York County Regional Police were called to the trailer park about 2:30 a.m. May 24 by neighbors for an outdoor domestic dispute between Lawrence and live-in boyfriend Rodney Lee Gabelli Jr.

After police arrested Gabelli, an officer accompanied Lawrence to her home because they learned her 5-year-old daughter was there alone, court documents state.

'Unbearable odor': The officer was met with "an unbearable odor" inside the trailer, and saw that most of the living-room floor was covered in animal feces, cigarette butts, loose trash and garbage bags full of trash, clothing and toys, documents state.

Also in the living room were three large animal cages that held four chinchillas; a dog and a cat also lived in the home, according to police.

Lawrence's kitchen had trash scattered on the floor, a table flipped on its side and counters that were covered with dirty dishes, spoiled food and other trash, documents state.

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The officer found Lawrence's daughter in a bedroom, asleep on a urine-stained mattress that didn't have sheets, according to police.

Drunk and cursing: Lawrence was highly intoxicated, yelling profanities and was uncooperative with officers, court documents state. She was arrested at the scene.

Her daughter was taken into protective custody by York County's Office of Children, Youth and Families, and the animals were taken by the York County SPCA, police said.

Deputy prosecutor Stephen McDonald said it appears Gabelli — not Lawrence — was responsible for what police called the home's "deplorable" conditions.

Had moved out: "She and Gabelli were separated. She had moved down to Maryland ... and had been down there for some significant period of time," he said, and had only returned to the trailer that day.

"It was going to be hard to prove she was responsible for the home's conditions," McDonald said.

Lawrence admitted to her role in the mutual domestic dispute when she pleaded guilty to simple assault, the prosecutor said. Her defense attorney, John Hamme, declined comment.

Gabelli, 33, remains free on bail, charged with endangering the welfare of the 5-year-old, aggravated assault for the dispute, and other offenses.